To Serve and Protect
by snarechan
Summary: There is more to the Omega Ruins than anyone could have realized, and it only took several mistakes for Tidus to make this clear.
1. Chapter 1

To Serve and Protect

By Snare-chan

**Ratings**: PG-13  
**Category(ies)**: Slight AU (Alternate Universe)  
**Warning(s**: Spoilers for later parts in the game, namely after Zanarkand Dome  
**Status**: Continuation, 1/3  
**Summary**: There is more to the Omega Ruins than anyone could have realized, and it only took several mistakes for Tidus to make this clear.

**Notes**: When I was exploring the Omega Ruins, even on the first run, I found it rather boring. It's blatantly obvious that it was designated as more or less _the_ place for players to level up. The plot was direct, the battles were simple and the layout is so small once it's revealed there isn't much else to say about the place.

So…thus the creation of this story. I thought I could add a bit more interest to the spot with it, though perhaps a little at the cost of general-Spira logic. I tried to keep the story as true to the game as possible, but just in case I'm tacking AU on. And because I'm cool like that.

**Disclaimer**: I dun own Final Fantasy X; wish I did like everyone else. They should put FFX in stock, then I'd buy it all!

* * *

"Does this place _ever_ end!"

Though Tidus would have loved to sigh with the rest of the group, he too questioned the length of this underground cavern. The Omega Ruins, as designated on Cid's graphs, were downright huge, if not endless. They easily outclassed any other area the party had visited. Strong fiends like mini-bosses were crawling over every inch of the place, and save spheres – those beloved blue machina he'd come to appreciate on this journey – were more scarce than treasure chests.

It was also dark, cold, and if his companions were like him, then they would be nearly dead on their feet. At the moment, the blonde would do anything to sit down and rest for a couple minutes, but it was too risky…or so Auron argued. While he was convinced stopping would leave them open for any sort of attack, Rikku had argued back that they were being attacked _anyway_. Tidus, at least, was more than ready to agree.

"I mean, we've been here forever and ever! Can't we leave yet?" Rikku continued, arms wrapped around her shoulders to keep warm. "It's super creepy down here…"

"It could be worse, ya?"

"How could it possibly be any worse? I've already been turned to stone twice!"

Wakka coughed softly, rubbing the back of his head. He hadn't gone unscathed either, having been Confused, and because of it, he'd been one of those two reasons why Rikku got Petrified. The redhead had apologized immediately, but it hadn't improved the girl's mood at all. In fact, she had confiscated his T.K.O. ball some time ago.

"Stop complaining. We can always train in the Thunder Plains."

"Ya, that's how it could be worse!" Wakka suddenly brightened, missing the point entirely.

"You're both such meanies! Why did you have to drag us down here anyway? If you want to go and…and beat things with your big metal stick, then keep us out of it!"

"No one made you come."

"But…but Yunie came too, and I can't just leave her alone with you guys."

"Hey!"

Tidus and Wakka protested as one while a miffed Lulu snorted. Rikku released a nervous laugh, a finger going to rub her cheek in habit. "Sorry Lu; you're ok."

"Hey now; we're not so bad either," Tidus spoke up.

"Well…Kimahri is nice."

"Oh, thanks a lot."

"Be quiet, all of you. You'll attract fiends."

Tidus took the hint, having been around the older man long enough to know when to listen. Technically it should be _all_ the time, but… For once, Rikku did too, but not without sticking out her tongue at Auron's back. From the annoyed tilt of his head, the Blitzball player assumed he knew about it. When Tidus was a kid, the other had always seemed to know what he was doing, as if he had eyes in the back of his head. Absently, he rolled his tongue around his mouth, remembering the one time Auron had caught him doing the exact same thing and nearly yanked the muscle right out.

The next five minutes of silence (if you could call it that) was spent battling Master Coeurl and Machea while listening to Rikku whine under her breath.

"Cold cold cold, tired tired tired, wanna leave wanna leave…can we leave now?"

"No."

"But I'm cold and I'm tired and I wanna leave…"

Yuna, who Rikku had progressively moved around more to keep warm, glanced over at her in worry. Though the summoner was usually concerned about everyone's health, she was growing more so at the young blonde's complaints. She might be known to complain every once and while, but she seemed absolutely serious this time. It couldn't be good to push her so hard in these conditions.

"Maybe…we should stop for a little while. We all have been working hard."

Everyone instinctively turned towards Auron. Even though it had never really been stated outright, his experience in this field had designated him as a sort of leader in their party of seven. In Tidus' opinion, however, his word would be law no matter what kind of wisdom he had in him.

"Oh come on, Auron; we've been at this for hours. Five minutes isn't going to kill us."

"…As you wish."

Tidus actually blinked at that, surprised that the older man had given in so easily. He supposed a part of it might have had to do with the fact that Yuna had asked and that whole 'summoners get their way because they are summoning' gig he'd been hearing about along this whole journey…but who really knew with Auron?

"YIPPIE!"

With a newfound sense of energy, Rikku did a sort of happy dance before plopping down right where she had been standing, huddling close to Kimahri and his warm, blue fur coat. The Ronso's expression never changed, but knowing him, he probably would have moved if Yuna hadn't carefully situated herself on his other side. Everyone else followed suit, sitting down in a close huddle to keep from freezing and to maintain a close eye on all their surroundings.

They had walked into another dead end, lit slightly by…Tidus wasn't sure what exactly they were. Torches maybe? They kind of reminded him of the electrical lights back home…in his Zanarkand.

Deciding he might as well take this chance, he laid his head on his knees, trying to rest. Most of the others were already ahead of him in that field, Rikku softly snoozing against Kimahri's shoulder and Lulu looking like she was in some sort of meditative state. He couldn't see his guardian's face due to it being shadowed from his position right beside him, but by all appearances he looked like even he was resting. Tidus knew if he could trust anyone to keep watch though, it would be him.

So with that in mind, he settled in and started to doze.

* * *

Snore. Snore.

* * *

While Tidus was still sleeping away in dreamland, his nose wriggled as it picked something up, detecting loose smells even without his knowledge. The stench now hanging in the air was strong enough to get him to stir, and when it didn't go away he cracked open an eye.

"What is that _awful smell_?" He'd only mumbled it without the intention of being heard, but sensed someone tense to his left.

"Get up."

"Five more minutes…"

"No. Get up!"

When he didn't comply fast enough, he was lifted up by his hood, the sensation of hovering over the floor starting him completely to wakefulness. Now fully aware of his surroundings, Auron set him down on his feet.

"What's wrong?"

"We've been here too long. Get everyone up."

Nodding, he was quick to head over to the next nearest person. He was a lot more careful with how he woke Yuna up, though, not wanting to hurt her. Gently, but urgently, he shook her shoulder.

"Yuna, come on."

"Mm…what's happening?"

He shrugged, just as curious and lost as she was. "Don't know. Auron just said that we need to get going."

"Yes."

As soon as she'd woken, Kimahri did the same, and helped both Yuna and Rikku to their feet. The Al Bhed girl yawned loudly, shaking her head and looking ready to drift off again. Wakka and Lulu were the last to rise, but wasted no time.

"What gives? I was just starting to get some real sleep."

"Something's coming."

Sniffing the air heavily again, Tidus gagged, both hands going to cover his nose and mouth in a feeble attempt to protect them from the horrid smell floating about.

"Whatever it is, it must have gotten something. It smells like something died in here!"

Feeling unsure, Yuna took a small whiff, her face scrunching up slightly. "It does smell like death. A fiend must be very close by."

"Then we should stop talking about it and get moving, ya?"

Heading out at a quick pace, they took as many turns and bends as they could, wanting to put some distance between themselves and the monster trailing them. The territory was poorly illuminated and with the ruins being completely uncharted, it was difficult moving about without risking getting lost. A part of why they had come down here in the first place was to mark it out, but at that very moment none of them wasted the effort of doing so.

They were unable to escape the disgusting odor despite these tactics. In fact, the more twists they took, the more powerful it became.

"It's strange, how there was nothing really here before," Lulu finally spoke up, appearing to be musing more to herself than to her companions.

"Ya, it kind of smells like a-"

"Great Malboro!"

Wakka blinked slowly. "Actually, I was going to say it smells like a locker room for a Shoopuf, but that works too."

"No, a Great Malbaro! Look!" Rikku squealed shrilly, pointing behind them as a slimy, tentacled fiend with just as many eyes as it had arms came slithering out of hiding. Immediately, the smell of trash and twenty-year-old clipped toenails filled the cramped space as it spotted them.

Everyone scrambled into action, Auron, Tidus and Yuna moving up to be the first ones to face it while the rest of them headed back to cover the rear. It was the only thing they had time for as the fiend released a cloud of its putrid breath, a darkened cloud of pea green fogging up the small space. The status effects were instantaneous. Yuna got hit with Silence, the others missing her because she had wisely equipped her armor with proofs. Auron came down with Confusion, while Tidus had it the worst - Poison, Berserk and Darkness hitting him all at once.

Now it was their chance to strike back, and Yuna reached for an item to cure Auron first to keep another party-attack disaster from happening. It would be _very _bad if someone as hard-hitting and strong as the guardian hit one of them now. As grudging as it was to admit just to himself, the older man could probably knock them all out with a single hit.

Since he was now cleared up, he put forth some sort of ability Tidus couldn't recognize, his vision too blurred to spot any details. They had run out of Remedies, so even if Tidus was in his right of mind, he couldn't do anything but attack. The familiar stinging buzz of Berserk coursing through his veins accompanied his action of slicing into the monster, the lucky shot costing him as he retreated back to the front party. His strike only managed to remove a couple eyes and tentacles, and from the feel of things possibly even a tooth. As soon as he got back, he became overcome by a strong wave of nausea and stumbled.

He _really_ hated it when he got Poisoned.

Due to Auto-Haste on _his_ armor, Tidus quickly recovered enough for another attack. You can bet, as all the status effects did their job on his body, that he was kicking himself for several reasons. The next time he decided to auto everything on his armor instead of proof it like Lulu had suggested he should…he'd listen.

Now able to help again, Yuna used Echo-Screen, preparing to help heal all of her other companions' wounds on her next turn. It would take far too long to just heal one or the other. Her efforts were thwarted by another show of toxic smog, the haze covering them all like smoke from a fire before rising to reveal a re-ailmented party. Still with a bit of health left in him, Tidus vouched to strike again, another sense of illness taking him down to one knee.

"Tidus!"

None of the other previous battles had been this long or this hard, the blonde absently noted. Then again, any breed of Malboro, great or not, was everything when compared to simple species of bats and lizards.

"Can you move?"

Still shrouded in Darkness, Tidus could only tilt his head in Auron's direction to let him know he'd heard, but he could only shrug. He was feeling drowsy, but otherwise still conscious, so that was a good sign.

"I think so," he finally admitted, nodding his head in weak acknowledgement before he let his head fall back into a bowed position. He was finding it increasingly difficult to hold it up in place, and he almost made the mistake of passing out – for a moment he thought he had – until he heard the distinctive sound of something wet and slimy making its way towards him.

Tilting his head back, he tried in vain to see where the attack was going, but the cloud of darkness still hung closely to his face. He couldn't even see his hand wave around in front of him as he tried to push the hanging clouds aside. By the time he had realized it was him the creature was heading for, it was too late to step aside. Eyes widening in alarm, he tried to run, jump, roll…move out of the way any possible way he could. But it was impossible; he was just too weak to move. This hit would be the end of him.

Clenching his eyes closed and tensing in anticipation for the final blow, he expected to experience enough needles put into him to last him for the rest of his entire life. But the pain never came. Daring to open one eye, he had both snapping open in a second in a better attempt to see what was happening.

Before, there had been nothing but gnashing teeth in his short field of vision. Now he was only able to spot red. At first, he thought he'd fallen face down in his own blood, but the color was off. It was lighter and looked just like…Auron's robe? For a moment, he was completely lost on how he had gotten sent to wait back with the others. When did he find the strength to move?

Then it hit him like a Blitzball to the head. He hadn't been the one to move – _Auron_ had. The other had been the one to take the hit.

Putting all his effort into trying to talk, he was unable to form the words. Though he couldn't see it, he heard the distinctive crunch of metal being torn apart – either his sword or bracer – before whatever it was shattered like ice. With a grunt, his guardian moved a bit away from him, most likely to attack, and from the loud gnarling screech that followed, it must have been a direct hit. The fiend's last lament echoed off the cave walls before leaving the party to a ghostly silence.

With the monster no longer around to leave its mark, all status effects evaporated, leaving Tidus with his sight back and some health to spare. It would seem he recovered just in time to see the other guardian begin to collapse. It was like watching a silent movie-sphere in slow motion. The spectacle could almost be called serene before it picked up again. Both unable to physically move away and mentally wishing to be there, Tidus tried to be quick enough to catch the other as he fell back against him. Still a little woozy from his own experience with the Malboro, he was only able to cushion Auron's fall as the two of them collapsed to the ground.

"Auron, you weigh like a _rock_."

The other was silent in his arms, and one glance down at him proved why. His earlier guess about the bracer being broken was proven correct as he spotted the other's unclothed arm bleeding heavily and laced with green ooze. Without the Poisonproof of his armor, the toxins were quick to take effect and were most likely eating away at the limb and traveling right through his blood stream.

"Auron!"

Without hesitation, Yuna moved over to see if she could help, her hands gently cupping over the wound as everyone hovered nearby. A green glow appeared at the tips of her fingers as she cast some form of Cure. It almost appeared to have worked too, the skin around the wound closing in around it in a scabbing fashion before snapping back into place.

"I…I'm out of magic!" she gasped, breathless from the ordeal herself.

"Then…then we need an Ether! Who has one?"

Tidus knew he was all out, having been the one designated to carry the Distillers and some select weapons. Lulu shook her head, the only one trusted to carry any food supplies and their money ever since Wakka had lost some on their journey. The same went for everyone else. Rikku was even out of her people's special Potions.

Slumping in dismay, Tidus looked at each one of their faces. "Nothing? We have _nothing_?"

"Um um um…" Frantically, Rikku fumbled through her many pockets, inside her gloves, and everywhere else, "Maybe…no…that won't work…well…can we clean it out with Holy Water at least? Will that do?"

"Anything will do at this point," Tidus assured, grabbing it from her hands and, with Yuna's help, washed out the bite marks as best as possible. Tentatively, the summoner pulled out some thorny-looking teeth as they were revealed. When that was all said and done, Lulu offered up some black cloth, the fabric probably used to patch up her dolls on the rare occasion they got overused.

During the whole ordeal, Auron neither made a sound nor moved. As they finished tying up his arm, this of course left them all rather concerned. They knew they could not stay put, or at least not out in the open, and using Kimahri's strength, they moved him to a more secluded area.

"We have to get him help, ya?"

"How? We are too far away from where we came in; what would moving him accomplish?" Lulu asked logically, her voice uncharacteristically softer than her normal scathing tone that she used every time she was forced to point out the obvious.

"Then one of us has gotta go back to get help!" Rikku chirped, her small hand rising in offering to do it herself. The idea was dismissed instantly, the rest of them fearing that they would get lost or hurt or a whole slew of misfortunes. Another one of them getting injured wouldn't help Auron in the least.

"He'll be ok."

At the sound of Tidus' voice, everyone turned to him, the blonde still hovering by the man's side. He'd refused to move anywhere else and only spoken up since the accident just now.

"He's a tough guy; he can hold on a little longer. We'll accomplish nothing by wasting our energy."

Quietly, Yuna moved to sit beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Yes…Sir Auron has had worse, right?"

Nodding sternly, he agreed whole-heartedly, "Yeah, I bet he'll be better in the morning…afternoon…whenever later is. You'll see! And if not…well, we're smart, we can come up with something when that time comes."

Their anxiousness only partly calmed, the group settled in, waiting to see if rest would be the answer. They all prayed it would just take something so simple. While the others rested uneasily, Tidus remained perfectly stationed over his guardian's form, having an even better idea of what he must do.

* * *

To Be Continued…

**A/N**: Cookies and cream to those who figured out what 'special ability' Auron used before he was attacked! Hint: it explains how he was able to defend Tidus. ;)


	2. Chapter 2

To Serve and Protect

By Snare-chan

**Ratings**: PG-13  
**Category(ies)**: Slight AU (Alternate Universe)  
**Warning(s)**: Spoilers for later parts in the game, namely after Zanarkand Dome  
**Status**: Continuation, 2/3  
**Summary**: There is more to the Omega Ruins than anyone could have realized, and it only took several mistakes for Tidus to make this clear.

**Notes**: So that it's very clear, anything separately set in /backslashes is Al Bhed speech/. Hopefully this will keep you from getting confused and allowing me to be lazy and not type in actual Al Bhed. You wouldn't want to translate that anyway, would you?

Also, please note I have indeed imbedded a non-FFX character into this piece. _Don't be alarmed_! She is hardly a Mary Sue and even if she were, she will not be around long enough for any of your little worries to come true. Trust me on this.

**Disclaimer**: I dun own Final Fantasy X; wish I did like everyone else. They should put FFX in stock, then I'd buy it all!

* * *

Ever since Tidus could remember Auron coming into his life, he'd been a large part of it.

At first, he'd absolutely hated his presence. Who was this guy? Where did he come from? Why was he even _here_? He and his mother didn't need him, with his overly large sword and gruff demeanor and everything that came along with the older man.

When he was younger, he'd tried everything he possibly could to get rid of him, from being pointedly obnoxious to pulling every single prank his devious mind could come up with. That hadn't worked out at all, and in fact, most plans usually backfired on him, so he moved on to the silent treatment. By doing so, he hoped that when the other saw he wasn't needed (much less wanted) he'd take the hint and go away. This worked just as poorly.

Eventually, he just became used to the guy hanging around, especially after his…mom passed away. In some ways, the stranger had been worse than his old man, and in others, had far surpassed what fatherly parenting Jecht could have ever hoped to meet. The man just never got angry over anything, lectured him almost constantly, and couldn't make a decent breakfast of toast to save his life. But he was his guardian, the only real parent he became accustomed to, and that was that.

As such, he'd unconsciously come to rely on the other for his guidance and support. At least, whatever he was willing to offer whenever he wanted. Auron had taken care of the bills, his Blitzball forms and his entire life in general. He'd taught him everything he knew, and despite how close they'd become, now more than ever, Tidus felt he owed the man more than he could ever offer.

That's why it was his turn to do the right thing, to be the one protecting. In the end, it was the least he could do.

Opening his tired eyes to the gloom of the Omega Ruins, Tidus quietly surveyed the small enclosure they'd boxed themselves into. The place was chock full of dead ends and chopped corners, all good places to rest or hide for a time. By all appearances, everyone looked fast asleep, though dozing a light one. Not much had changed since he'd last opened his eyes, or at least not when he looked down to Auron. Through the shaded cloth he couldn't see the bright red color of blood, though its wetness was there. He also looked like he might be developing a fever.

It was hard to tell how much longer he had left.

Gingerly starting to rise, he got caught and peered down at his arm, taking note that sometime during his thoughts, Yuna had wrapped a loose arm around his. Carefully, he moved it aside, helping her unconscious form lean back against the brick wall behind them before getting completely to his feet. Pulling out his Brotherhood, he ran his hand down the long blade, the strange steel freezing to the touch. For his time away, he'd leave it by Auron, unsure if it would actually do any good to keep his fever down, but willing to try and buy some more time.

Pulling out his extra sword, he started toward the exit. Even with how careful he tried to be, his shoes made soft squeaking noises. The sound grated on his nerves till he thought he was in the clear. At least he thought he had been, until soft hair brushed against his ankle.

Kimahri had apparently been unable to sleep at all and had taken to watching their surroundings, the large Ronso eyeing him in question as to his presence. He had to think quickly.

"Uh…did you hear that?"

Furry ears pricked up, swiveling back and forth on his head like tiny sensors. "Kimahri hear nothing."

"I um…had better check it out anyway. I think it came from this way."

The fellow guardian moved to follow, which just wouldn't do. Licking his suddenly dry lips Tidus paused, trying to look unsure.

"You had better stay here, just in case. I'll check it out pronto and be right back, ok?"

Looking genuinely unsure, the Ronso nodded, straightening his already upright posture to wait for his return…or no return as the case might be. His spear tapped the floor once as Tidus headed down a ways to take the first corner that would lead him deeper into the ruins. Instead of checking it out like he said he would, he continued forward, taking turns and twists at random. As he searched the ground, he felt kind of guilty for lying back there, but he had no choice if he wanted his plan to succeed.

There had been no way he could make it back to the pick up point for the airship thanks to their reckless running around before, so he was going to try a different approach. The place was old and riddled with passageways full of items, some dropped by fiends and others most likely brought by long gone travelers. There was no real way to tell what he'd find, but an Antidote or Potion would do nicely. Somewhere down here there _had_ to be something to help Auron get better.

He hit more stops with chests during his travels, but none filled with anything that could help. Though he was sure they already had enough spheres to supply them all for quite a while longer, he tucked them away for later. Starting to his feet he lightly bumped his nose against the wall, his eyes crossing as something flashed with the simple contact.

_Huh?_

Laying his hand flat against it, nothing occurred at first, and then a bright flash emitted from the brick surface. A glyph like none he'd seen before glowed upon it, flickering in and out of existence before it disappeared again. With it went the wall, the rocks crumbling to reveal a secret passageway. Taking this as a good omen, he treaded along the stairwell carved into the stone without a thought, the wall unnoticeably reappearing and blocking off his exit.

For quite some time, he ran up and down stairs, through slim passageways and past obstacles along the way. By the time anything changed, he'd come to – of all things – a dead end. There was only a rock cliff at the end of this road, and it overlooked a large batch of lava below.

"Darn it!" Cursing, he kicked his foot into the dirt. "Enough with the stupid dead ends! Can't this place be fair for ONE SECOND!"

As his rant exploded with the last two words, they echoed over the expanse to amplify his words tenfold. Sitting down with a hard 'thump,' he glared all around him, wondering what the point of having a secret passageway was if it didn't lead anywhere.

Something shifted behind him, and he glanced backward with a start. Originally, he'd suspected maybe an attack. Had a fiend followed him, or one of the others? Then the ground shifted, the rock cliff under him beginning to give way from his harsh treatment towards it earlier and his added weight. With a yelp, he was on his feet and dashing back the way he'd come, bits of the ground falling away. He was too late to reach the stairs, and he was certain his fate would be the same as the other fallen bits and pieces – a nice lava bath of death.

Instead of being cooked well-done he landed on his back against hard ground on top of dirt and pointy little stones. The fall had not been a pleasant one as he was left lying there in pure agony. Of course he was happy to still be alive to feel any sort of hurt, but he didn't have to actually _like_ the fact his spine might be shattered into several shards. In his head, he thought his nerve endings were telling him his body's pain story in the words of the fayth, but as his bearings slowly returned to him, he realized he actually was hearing the song of prayer.

_"Ieyui  
Nobomeno  
Renmiri  
Yojuyogo…"_

Lifting his head, he spotted a large archway chiseled out of the stone. It was primitive looking and had perhaps been here since the Omega's creation, long ago when it wasn't in ruins. Aging didn't look like it had occurred, and rising to his aching legs, Tidus made his way towards it. He was stuck now anyway, so what else could he possibly do but go on ahead? Who knew; maybe he'd find a whole horde of Antidotes on the other side.

"If I survive this, I'm never owing Auron anything again," he muttered.

There was absolutely no light here, so he was forced to feel around with his hands and feet. Stumbling around in the dark, he came up to a crossroads, his fingers losing their way as the walls split off into different directions. He knew exactly what to do.

"Eenie meanie minie moe…right it is then!" Smiling at his quick wit, he moved in that direction, his foot eventually smacking into an upraised platform from the floor. It was another set of stairs, and nearly crawling on his hands and knees, he progressed to the top where he could see some soft shades of purple light. Had he somehow made his way back up to the original Omega Ruins?

But there were no obvious signs that he had worked his way towards the first path, or the 'surface' at all for that matter. An archway of some importance rose in front of him. The delicate frame and decorations surrounding it only reminded him of one thing, and stepping into the temple, he was met with nothing like the familiar ones on Spira. No statues of old summoners were placed in a wide circle, and no priests stood watch over it. The only consistent thing he recognized was the constant chanting, which had grown louder now that he was here.

"_Ieyui_  
_Nobomeno  
Renmiri  
Yojuyogo  
Hasatekanae  
Kutamae…"_

The song trailed off before picking up again, the person or whatever singing it picking it up again a couple seconds after they had just finished. Having seen no one alive down here, he guessed, despite all logical reason, that it must be a fayth. It would explain the singing at least, since along with their fate, they were cursed to repeat the words of prayer for eternity…or something. He couldn't be sure about these things, and mostly just picked them up by short observations. Tidus had never been to a temple where the sacred aeon wasn't chanting.

Yuna wasn't here, so approaching it didn't seem wholly worth the trouble of going through the trials or tribulations set out for summoners and their guardians to partake in to earn the rite of passage. The couple of times he'd revisited the previous shrines, however, the fayths that resided in them always offered him a gift for all their trouble (and a depressing bit of conversation to him, but he had learned to put up with that. He sure wouldn't be his usual happy-go-lucky self if _he_ was locked away in a glass case for forever).

Convinced that maybe they could give him some Potions, the time would be worth it, but first things first. Ducking into the side rooms, he searched through the tattered fabrics and chests littering them in case they could provide him with what he wanted. He discovered a new bracer that could at least replace Auron's old one before grudgingly heading towards the chamber.

_It will all pay off _he reminded himself, recalling that back with the others, they were lacking in curing products and handling a sick guardian.

The first room he entered was like the rest of the place, made perfectly of rock and brick inlayed with soft glowing crystals. Having learned from previous trials, he felt along each wall in search of hidden glyphs or spheres, the small corner by the open cave door revealing an Omega sphere well hidden under a small boulder. Sensing this might be part of a bigger pattern, he kept this in mind as he headed into the next room, unable to find anything else of use in here.

The second place…was far larger by comparison. Like, bigger than the airship. In fact, this place could probably fit two or three with little to no effort. Spheres of all colors lined the high raised walls, lighting the room with a gentle glow of the rainbow. Rubbing his neck with a sigh, he looked in all directions. Tidus had long since grown to despise the temples, the tests put forth for them just to get to the chamber headache-inducing and, in his mind, just plain stupid. Besides one or two, he'd never been able to figure them out on his own, Auron or the others there to help him find the way.

"Would it really hurt to just put up a sign saying, 'this way'?"

Shaking his head, he explored the ground floor in search for slots, pictures…anything that could be of use to him. He looked under every pile of dirt and rock to come up with nothing. It appeared the riddle was with the other spheres and the walls. Looking up at them again, he turned in circles, coming at a stop at the locked doors on the opposite side of where he'd entered. Just above it was some sort of glyph that had been carved there, and on closer inspection, he realized it was the same design of the one that had led him down here.

Using his well-practiced balance and ability to perform impossible-looking tricks, he 'scaled' the door till he was high enough to place the Omega sphere into the slot in the middle of the glyph. It gave a satisfying flash before dimming, signaling that he'd done at least one thing right so far. Trying the doors on his way down, they refused to open, meaning he had some things left to finish.

Pouting, he backed off till he was in the center of the cavity again. Several of the spheres still flashed at him cheerfully from their perches in the wall. If he didn't know better, he would even say they were mocking him.

From about a half-story up, he spotted a peculiar shadow, and a couple others for that matter. Upon inspecting them, he found that they, too, were glyphs. These were nothing like that representing Omega but rather those from previous journeys. The setup reminded him of Anima's temple, though he hoped that wasn't the case. All the special spheres he'd picked up from the others had been left there. But…maybe there was another way.

Inspecting the sparkling stones in the wall, he went over each one, searching for a couple in particular. Destruction, white, power, Besaid, luck…double-taking, he went back to the Besaid one, removing it and feeling a warmth in his palm. The others were standard for a temple or found regularly around this world, so what was this doing here? Figuring that it was part of the puzzle he went about trying it into the couple other glyphs in the room until one of them glowed. He had to be on the right track now, and scaling to the others, he collected and placed Kilika, Djose, Macalania, and Bevelle spheres into their special places. Once completed, they all shined as one.

"Finally!" he crowed, reaching for the handles of the doors to make his way through…only to find them _still_ locked in place. "What! Oh come on; what more do you need from me?"

Kicking the doors, a sharp pain shot through his entire foot and leg, causing him to hop up and down as he walked it off.

"Stupid temple…" he muttered, sitting down to massage his sore toes through his bright yellow sneakers. In the meantime, he looked over everything one last time. He'd placed all the temple spheres into their appropriate space. There was Valefor's, Ifrit's…every summoning he could find…except three very distinct ones. Somehow he'd forgotten about Yojimbo, Anima, and the Magus Sisters, but why would he? Their temples didn't really have their own sphere, in reality only one even _had_ a real temple, one lost and the other kept locked away.

For Yojimbo, that cheap-skating samurai-like aeon, he had demanded money for his services, while the Magus Sisters had to be obtained through two completely irrelevant objects. Like this temple, Anima required the unlocking of other temples, so what more could he do? Unless this place would accept accessories and some loose cash, he didn't know what more he could do.

…

"Could it really be that simple?"

Pulling the Blossom Crown and Flower Scepter from hiding he looked around for a place to set them, his eyes falling on some strange looking slots beside the door. Miraculously, they fit perfectly, and as he stepped back to eye his handiwork, a pedestal with a basin on top appeared in the spot he'd been standing. This had to be for the money, and reaching deep down into his pockets he pulled out all he had. It wasn't a whole lot since this was just spare change in case he got separated from the group and needed miniscule provisions, but it would do.

As the gold clinked into the pot and it dipped back out of sight, the glyphs he'd activated above came fully to life and shot off their standard colors with vigor. The double doors that had eluded him till now slid open of their own accord.

_"Ieyui  
Nobomeno  
Renmiri  
Yojuyogo…"_

Nodding with pride, he stepped through those doors, feeling on top of the world. He had done this one all on his own with no one's help, and soon he would be getting some items. The voice of the fayth completely filled his head as he entered the chamber and rid his mind of many troubling thoughts. Stepping towards the aeon's room, the feather fans parted to let him through.

Soft lavender hues lighted the area, making it a little difficult to see the small room in all its glory. The real show came from the center where the glass container holding the fayth was placed, the cracking glass revealing the bare back of…a girl?

Whoever it was didn't sport broad shoulders, so he thought so. Something akin to a flowing cape emerged from between her shoulder blades, ranging from top to bottom a light blue, navy and then finally orange. Gradually, her skin color changed to a light violet till her body melded into the framework. Her head was slightly tilted, and though Tidus couldn't see her face, a long spike that was her hair protruded out from the scalp, changing from a natural blonde color to pastel blues and pinks. Other than a mesh of fish-scale looking armor attached to one arm, that was all he could see.

The case began to pulse, flashing a bright onslaught of light that temporarily blinded him. Gaining back his sight, a woman stood before him, her ghostly form transparent enough for him to see right through to the other wall. Folding her arms in front of her, she turned to face him, a cookie cutter to the fayths he'd seen before. Blank eyes, grim face…and a sad voice. She reminded him of someone else too, of someone like Rikku. The blonde hair, the beautiful swirling eyes, it was all the same.

/Who are you/

Her voice carried easily in this place. She probably could have whispered in the same tone and Tidus could have heard every word perfectly. That wasn't what caught his attention though, but instead the language she used. It was in that strange, new tongue he'd been starting to learn, Al Bhed, and this clearly explained the resemblance between his exuberant friend and this summon. But didn't these people shun this sort of thing, becoming a fayth or summoner or…anything having to do with Yu Yevon?

"Me? Oh uh…Tidus, and I'm-"

"Lost for all eternity, drifting through reality with no true destination. I have heard of you, back then…" she trailed off in plain English after hearing him speak, her interruption leaving him slightly off guard. Then he remembered that she was a fayth, after all, and they all seemed to know him very well even when they had never really met. Or had they? It was all so confusing.

"The end is near; I can feel it in my soul. Whether good or bad, we have but only to remember that one way or another, we all shall no longer roam on forgotten paths."

This was how it always was. He'd show up, they'd exchange some depressing banter, and then he'd get some goods and move on. Sometimes he wondered if they did this all on purpose just to spite him. It wasn't his fault that they had volunteered to become aeons, thus why did he deserve such treatment? He was deeply tired of being reminded of his doomed fate and having it rubbed in his face.

"Look, lady, I don't mean to bother you but I'm in a hurry here, so can we cut the destiny crap? Auron…my guardian friend, he's really hurt and I need something that can heal him."

For the first time he had laid eyes on a summon, their true self, he saw a change in expression. The woman seemed to blanch, if possible, and her lips pursed in uncertainty. The look didn't suit her face and honestly left him a bit unsettled. Perhaps he should have been more patient instead of upsetting the one thing that could give him what he deeply needed?

"Please, explain. I wish to know."

* * *

To Be Continued… 


	3. Chapter 3

To Serve and Protect

By Snare-chan

**Ratings**: PG-13  
**Category(ies)**: Slight AU (Alternate Universe)  
**Warning(s)**: Spoilers for later parts in the game, namely after Zanarkand Dome  
**Status**: Continuation, 3/3  
**Summary**: There is more to the Omega Ruins than anyone could have realized, and it only took several mistakes for Tidus to make this clear.

**Notes**: When I first wrote this chapter I had long since forgotten half the dialogue about Omega, so I'd written this up first before a friend pointed out that I have the power of the Internet. Originally it's stated that he was a powerful member of the Yevonite church, and after rebelling against it was banished. I went back and changed it accordingly to fit into the plot of the game, so hopefully it seems more plausible even for an AU.

Finally, yes, I used _that_ Pandemona.

**Disclaimer**: I dun own Final Fantasy X; wish I did like everyone else. They should put FFX in stock, then I'd buy it all!

* * *

Where could he start? All of this was deeper than he could simply say in a few select words, but to grant her request he'd have to tell her many things. Tapping his chin in thought, he muttered under his breath. Did he even have time for this?

"It's…hard to explain," he admitted, looking at her as earnestly as possible. "We were traveling here when we were ambushed. Auron…he…took a really bad hit for me. But it's more than that."

During his speech, the fayth had knelt down on her knees and clasped her palms together in her lap, listening intently. Her scrutinizing left him feeling tense and surprised. An aeon had never intentionally talked or listened to him more than necessary, not in any of their meetings. The only one that came close was Bahamut.

"I…understand."

"You do?"

The other nodded sternly, her face resorting back to the previous frown it had displayed. She looked so deadly serious that he had no doubt in his mind that maybe she did know what he was talking about, even when he wasn't sure himself about what exactly that was. Closing her eyes, she tilted back her head, as if feeling a great pain engulf her.

/When he was young and foolish…when _we_ were young and foolish, we were the same. Dream, do you know the story of Omega/ Her voice distinctly went back to her native language, and at his shake of the head she continued. /Yes…I suppose you would not, he is, after all, the only Al Bhed Summoner Spira has ever known./

"Wait…Omega was a what? I thought he was a Yevon-follower and dismissed from the church or something?"

/Yes…he was a deep follower of Yevon…/

Sitting down as well, Tidus quickly became engrossed with her tale, her soothing voice carrying the story like none he'd ever heard. With each word she uttered, a clear image filled his head. He could practically smell their surroundings and hear the natural sounds of the environment.

/Omega…had always been a dreamer, someone who only saw good in others and did what he could to help those in need. Not once did he ever think of himself above anyone else, and so his brothers and sisters loved him dearly. He was a cherished person, and highly thought of./

Here she paused, the memory seeming to pain her.

/Then one day…he had a horrible idea. 'Why stop here? Why not solve the world's suffering?' Many began to shun him as he expressed this need within him, this single thought eating him away till none wished to even look at him. He wanted to become a summoner, a bringer of the Calm, and in doing so, disregarded all our own people's teachings.

But not I…I did not ignore him. I had wished to aid him in his journey in hopes of talking him out of it. With me there by his side, he would see reason and turn back before it was too late. As time went by, the Al Bhed and Yevon followers hated him. No one would listen; he could stay nowhere but the streets and sneak into the temples at night. Even the fayths seemed to disregard him, only supplying their strength at the last minute. None of Spira appreciated him like I do./

It was horrible to hear. Here, in this time and during his own story, nothing seemed to be able to compare to this. He thought he had it bad, when at least in his Zanarkand people adored him and he had Yuna and her group. Even without those things, there was still Auron. But this Omega guy…he was truly alone, save for this one strong woman.

/Day after day I saw his determination, his strength, and came to realize that all my complaints and pleas would never reach him. Eventually, for all our efforts, we were banished here, to haunt the stone halls of these ruins for _tainting_ the church./ Reaching up a pale hand, she demonstrated her current state. /Perhaps…his crazy thoughts infected me too. I thought that if I could not stop him, then I wished to be with him till the very end. I would help him in any way I could, so I…became this. I became the one and only _Pandemona_, and he made me this shrine. But I have not been summoned in so long…/

"Huh…" This was all he could utter at the moment, his mind still racing with what he'd just heard. He had heard rumors about this guy from his companions, about how he had been tossed in here and died unsent. Actually, hearing his life story from the one person who loved him the most made it hard whether he should tell her what Auron had told him about Omega. That's when all his musings came to a halt. Auron; he was still hurting!

"Panda-lady, I…"

/This Auron…is he your lover too/

Whatever he had been about to say got stuck in the roof of his mouth at that startling question, his head bobbing quickly to clear it, "My…er...isn't that kind of a personal question?"

/You are deeply troubled for him, enough to…do whatever is necessary for him./

"Well of course I am; he's…been there for me a lot of times. Ok, all the time." Speaking like this wasn't easy for him, especially towards a stranger. But she had been kind enough to be honest to him, as far as to tell him her story, and whether this truthfulness was contagious or not, he returned the favor.

"It's all my fault he's hurt. If I'd only listened to him when he said we should keep moving…or tried harder…then maybe he wouldn't have had to protect me like he did. That's why I need to get something to heal him. I'd do this for any one of my friends," he added quickly, making it a point to make that last part loud and clear.

/He would not want you to despair./

"I know that! That doesn't change the fact that he's hurt and we're out of provisions. Is there anything you can do?"

Bowing her head, she returned to a floating position over the ground, the tips of her loafers suspended only by an inch.

/Yes…I believe I can, but I must ask you something in return./

"Anything; just name it!"

/I sense you know what has happened to my beloved Omega. Please…do what you must to finally bring him true peace. I could not bring him such fortune, but perhaps you can./

He thought it over for merely a second. There had been tales spoken of Omega still terrorizing this underworld and having Yuna send him would be just the thing she would want to do. He had been a summoner as well, and rightly deserved to be sent for his efforts, no matter his nationality. With a curt nod, he jumped back to his feet.

"You've got yourself a deal."

/Then please, take these. Hopefully you will gain more use out of them than we have./

With that said, the already cracked glass containing her body completely broke apart, showering him with the light the dancing bits created as they flew through the air. For the second time that day he was blinded, and this time he never saw afterwards.

When Tidus awoke, he thought he was blind. All he could see was black on all sides, and shifting positions helped nothing. Frantically, he felt the floor beneath him and then a wall. Using it to guide him, he reached a corridor lit with lights. Heart still pounding at the scare and the realization that he could still see, he slumped against the support, brushing loose strands of his hair out of his eyes. He was about to say, what use had she intended if she had rid him of his sight?

That's when the memories of Pandemona returned to him, of her gentle voice relaying the tale of Omega and of their promise. The blonde searched for any chests by his feet but saw none, so he desperately pulled out his pockets to find twelve Al Bhed potions, one X-potion, three Ethers and several Antidotes. Face brightening, he whooped for joy, not caring for all the world if he attracted every fiend in the area to this one spot. He had gotten what he'd sought for and, using the makeshift map they had been using to get around and mark the territory, he started back towards 'camp'.

Upon his arrival, Rikku's shrill cry of his return had everyone looking at him and greeting him instantly. Soon he was in a throng of questioning and answering, and even as tired as he was, he didn't really mind.

"We were so worried for you, Tidus. Kimahri told us of you going off on your own," Yuna gushed breathlessly, hovering closest to him.

"How very foolish; we thought you were dead," Lulu spoke up next, her tone that of a scolding mother.

"Ya, where'd you go, man? You were gone for hours!"

Calmly, he waited for everyone to give him some air, just basking in the sensation of having all his close friends there for him. For a fleeting moment he wondered if Summoner Omega experienced this sort of feeling too, and if he had, was it what Tidus felt now?

"Yeah…sorry about leaving you guys in the dark, but I went searching for some things. You won't believe what I found either, but I can explain all that later. Where's Auron so I can give him these Potions?"

"Right here."

At the sound of Auron's collected and flat voice, Tidus all but dropped the glass vials in his gloved hands. Standing perfectly on his own, the older man had his arm slung into his robe, the appendage re-bandaged and looking far less troublesome than when he'd left.

"Auron! You're ok?"

"Of course." His voice was so matter-of-fact that Tidus felt sorry over ever doubting his capability to take a hit. The Blitzball player managed to keep from blushing to the tips of his hair by putting the things away.

"And now that everyone is here in one piece, we can leave."

This time when everyone headed out there were absolutely no complaints, especially from Rikku. Tidus was about to join them until he noticed Auron hanging back, knowing what that meant for him. His stomach was not filled with the normal dread he felt whenever he was about to get chewed out by the guardian. He would gladly sit through a million lectures so long as that meant Auron was around to give them.

"What did you think you were doing?" the man demanded immediately.

"I was worried about you!" Tidus defended. "I couldn't just sit around and do nothing when you were so hurt."

"Why?"

The crisp, simple question left him reeling. _Why_? It was such a stupid and obvious answer!

"Because if something wasn't done you would have die…oh."

Auron snorted, stepping past him to catch up with the others. "Exactly. Think more next time."

"But I did think it out…"

"Save it. You can tell me all about it later on the airship."

"The airship…wait a minute!" Jogging a little so he was walking alongside the other, he looked up at him curiously, not sure he'd heard right. They were going back to the airship already? But after all he'd been through, it didn't feel like enough, though earlier he had been demanding a rest stop. "We can't leave yet."

"Why not?"

"I…uh…got some Potions and stuff, so we don't have to go anywhere. We can keep going and er…fight…things." He smiled meekly as the other completely stopped in his tracks to observe him better. "What, are you complaining?"

"Not me…what are you up to?"

Waving off his suspicion, Tidus laughed. "I'm not up to anything, honest!"

"Hmph…"

With that, he was moving up towards the front, leaving Tidus to come along if he wished. Of course he did and he didn't hesitate to pick up his pace, his footsteps gaining an extra bounce as their group trailed not towards the first save sphere but deeper into the cavernous ruins. He was glad, because if Auron had taught him anything, it was how to keep a promise.

-Fin-

**A/N**: And off they go to defeat the Omega Weapon, yay!


End file.
